The Greatest Red Sox Legends by Uniform Number: 11-15

Following up probably the easiest portion of these articles, numbers one through ten comes the third installment in this series of articles. This set of numbers, 11 through 15, won’t be quite so obvious. This grouping, however, does include one retired number and one current player.

Number 11 – Frank Malzone

Frank Malzone was an eight-time All-Star, spending 11 of his 12 seasons in Boston. Malzone made two All-Star Games in both 1959 and 1960, when Major League Baseball temporarily held two per season. Malzone was an excellent fielder, winning three consecutive Gold Gloves to begin his career. He also drove in 103 runners his rookie season, placing second in the Rookie of the Year vote.

During his nine full seasons with the Red Sox, Malzone batted .278 in addition to his All-Star Games and Gold Gloves. He hit 131 home runs during his time in Boston. From 1957-64, he was the cream of the crop at the hot corner. During that time he made eight All-Star Games in eight seasons. His average season was .281 with 16 home runs and 84 runs batted in during that timeframe.

Honorable Mentions: Tim Naehring, Bill Mueller, Clay Buchholz, Dave Stapleton

Number 12 – Ellis Burks

After a brief stint in Pawtucket, Burks came up to the Red Sox in 1987 and put up a 20-20 season as a rookie. He kept putting up results all over the field his entire career. With the Sox, he stole over 20 bases each of his first three seasons. In his first four years, he batted .291 with a .820 OPS. In that fourth season, he made the All-Star Game, won a Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger Award.

Burks’ play fell off his final two seasons in Boston, missing more than half the season in 1992. He battled injuries periodically throughout his career but was stellar when on the field. His biggest competition at the number 12 comes in the form of players who were good fewer years in Boston than he was, although several of them were postseason heroes.

Honorable Mentions: Wes Ferrell, Mark Bellhorn, Todd Walker, Mike Napoli

(Photo by Robert Beck/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Number 13 – John Valentin

John Valentin was an underrated star of the Red Sox in the nineties. Valentin was good both offensively and defensively and was a clutch hitter. During his time in Boston, he turned the tenth unassisted triple play in Major League history, hit for the cycle and posted the highest WAR in the American League in 1995. In the postseason, Valentin batted .347/.407/.639/1.046, hitting five home runs and driving in 19 runs over 72 at-bats.

Unfortunately, Valentin experienced severe knee problems that shortened his career. His knees bothered him in the late-nineties, then he blew out his knee and only played 30 games over his final two seasons with the Red Sox. However, from 1994-97 Valentin averaged 17 home runs and 35 doubles per season while batting .303/.384/.492/.876.

Honorable Mentions: Alex Cora, Hanley Ramirez

John Valentin homers off Roger Clemens in the 1st inning of game 3 of the ALCS in 1999.

Number 14 – Jim Rice

Jim Rice is the lone Hall of Famer in this group and has his number 14 retired by the Red Sox. He was quite possibly the most feared hitter in baseball for a decade. His rookie season he placed 2nd in the Rookie of the Year vote and third in the MVP vote. Things only went up from there.

From 1977-79, Rice put up one of the most dominant three-year stretches baseball has seen. Rice went over 200 hits each of those seasons and led the league in home runs twice. His 406 total bases in 1978 are a franchise record to this day. During that stretch, his average season was .320 with 41 home runs, 128 runs batted in, 207 base hits, 386 total bases, and a .972 OPS. He wasn’t all home runs as you can see by his hit total and the fact he hit 36 triples in those three seasons.

After a few good seasons, Rice had another monster season left in him in 1984. That year he led the league with 39 home runs and 126 runs batted in. His final top five MVP finish came in 1986 when he placed in third. In addition to his 1978 MVP Award, this was Rice’s fifth top-five MVP finish. His career tailed off in a hurry after that 86 season or he would have made the Hall of Fame much sooner. He still finished with nearly 2500 lifetime hits and a .298 batting average.

Number 15 – Dustin Pedroia

Who else at number 15 but our beloved leader at the keystone position. Pedroia has fallen on hard times lately with his knee problems, but he has had a wonderful career. Defying the odds of his small stature, Pedroia has won a Rookie of the Year, an MVP Award, a Silver Slugger, four Gold Gloves and made four all-star teams.

Pedroia followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign by leading the league in hits, runs scored and doubles in 2008. He even added some home run pop to his repertoire, hitting 17 out that season. In 2010 he was on pace for 20 when he broke his leg with a foul ball. He followed through on that pace the next season, smashing 21 “lasers” over the fence.

In his career, Pedroia has averaged 194 base hits per 162 games played. He is a career .300 hitter with extra-base power. In addition to that, he is a team leader and one of the best fielding second basemen in the game. Pedroia has never made more than seven errors in any season. The only season his fielding percentage dipped below .990 was when he was a September call-up in 2006; remarkable.

Honorable Mentions: Joe Dobson, Kevin Millar, Dennis Lamp, Earl Webb

Featured picture from the Baseball Hall of Fame

Patriots Notebook: The Bye Week

Leave a reply

The Patriots are off this week, after starting the season 7-3. The Patriots have had many ups and downs. The season started slowly, but the team bounced back and rallied off six straight wins. However, their lost last week to the Titans still stings and has many wondering if the team will be able to return to Super Bowl form. During the slow bye week, Patriots fans can take advantage of NFL action around the league with some football betting. These live betting lines show the spread for each game and can help you plan your football wagering.

Brady Addresses Deion Lewis’ Anti-Patriots Comments

The Patriots got taken to the woodshed by the Titans on Sunday, to the tune of a 34-10 beatdown. It was a “revenge” game of sorts, with a number of former Patriots players on the Titans roster — Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler, (head coach) Mike Vrabel to name a few.

Lewis was critical of the Patriots after the loss, calling the team “cheap” being that they didn’t offer him the new contract he was seeking, essentially allowing him to test the free-agent market (even though that’s always been their business model).

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady responded to Lewis’ comments during a WEEI appearance on Monday, and he didn’t seem to be fazed (or surprised) by them.

“I give them credit, they beat us,” Brady said. “When you win, you can say a lot of things. That is the reality of winning. We’ll just take our lumps and try and learn from them. And come out here and do a lot better job the next six weeks.”

That’s pretty much been the formula for the Patriots over the years. They’ll bury this game and move on.

Could Rob Gronkowski Retire if He Does Not Receive a New Deal?

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been dealing with ankle and back injuries this season, and that could impact his future in a big way.

Gronk has caught only 29 balls for 448 yards so far this season, which may affect how the team approaches him going forward. They gave him an incentive-filled deal that hasn’t worked out well for him at all so far this season, and it will be more of the same next year.

As such, Gronk may not deem playing worthwhile, which makes retirement a possibility. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk shared his take.

“I think that will be a factor in his ultimate decision and the fact he had a chance to play somewhere else and didn’t want to, I think there’s a good chance he just walks away after this year unless the Patriots are willing to rip up the last year of that contract and give him some form of security that is not tied to being healthy and producing on the field,” Florio said on NFL Sunday, which WEEI transcribed.

This isn’t a huge surprise, as for awhile, it seemed like Gronk wasn’t even going to come back this season, so this issue isn’t going away in the future, especially as his injuries mount up.

Could the Jets Ring a Bell?

Le’Veon Bell failed to sign his franchise tender, so he won’t be playing for the Steelers this season. It’s safe to say he’ll never be wearing a Steelers uniform again.

In fact, he won’t be playing for any NFL team this year, as he rests up in anticipation for hitting the free-agent market in the spring. The Steelers are unlikely to hit him with the transition tag, as that doesn’t accomplish much, and they’re not going to franchise tag him a third time, paying him upwards of $25 million (average of top five NFL players’ salaries).

At this point, all talk involving Bell will be about his future, specifically his potential landing spots. He was previously drawing interest from the Jets, Browns, Dolphins and 49ers, and those teams still appear to be the favorites to approach Bell with a lucrative offer, at least at this time.

And apparently, the Jets are at the top of the list. Bleacher Report insider Mike Freeman reported on Friday that it’s a “foregone conclusion” Bell will land with the Jets.

According to a number of NFL scouts and front office executives, there’s only one team that makes sense for the Steelers star: the New York Jets.

“I think it’s a foregone conclusion,” said one Steelers source.

“That’s the place where most of us have him pegged to go,” said one NFC scout.

The Jets do appear to be the most likely landing spot right now. The Jets have the cap space, and they’re in need of a veteran running back to anchor the backfield. They have a lot of youth on the offensive side of the ball, and Sam Darnold will be entering his second year as quarterback in 2019, so adding a proven veteran such as Bell makes sense. He also likes the night life, so New York could be viewed as an attractive destination for Bell.

Most importantly, though, the Jets can afford him, and would likely offer a good deal of guaranteed money to the soon-to-be-27-year-old running back, and that’s what matters.

Positives of Gordon Hayward on Celtics second unit

Leave a reply

In a docu-series released by The Athletic called “The Return”, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward exclaimed:

“I won’t be the same player… I’ll be a different player. I think something of that magnitude changes you as a player. Does that mean that I’m not going to be able to get to the same level or better than I was? Absolutely not.”

(Waltham, MA, 11/02/17) Gordon Hayward leaves after talking with reporters about his leg injury at the Celtics practice facility. Thursday, November 2, 2017. Staff photo by John Wilcox.

Being just over a year removed from a devastating foot and ankle injury, a slow start was expected for Hayward. Though, not many expected the former All-Star to have a career-low .390 field goal percentage while averaging just ten points per game.

Hayward’s struggles have mirrored Boston’s, as the Celtics are ranked 24 of 30 in points per game (105.6) and offensive rating (105.8). They rank even worse in team shooting percentage (42.8 percent) at 28 of 30.

Clearly, a shake-up is needed, and Hayward is well aware of it. The forward told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he is willing to come off the bench. Specifically, Hayward stated:

“For me, I’m happy to be on the court, No. 1 more than anything and, No. 2, whatever I can do to help us win’’.

Before Celtic fans panic about their highest paid player coming off the bench, let us look at the positives that will come from the situation.

More shot attempts for Hayward

When asked about his slow start, Hayward answered:

“Sometimes it gets frustrating, but for me, I’ve played in the league long enough to know you just have to put in the work in practice and shoot with confidence, shoot your way out of it.”

Unfortunately, Hayward hasn’t been allowed to “shoot his way out of it” due to the Celtics’ abundance of scoring options. Boston has seven players averaging at least 8.5 field goal attempts per game, with Hayward being second to last among them at 9.5. This is a far cry from the 15 field-goal attempts per game Hayward saw in his final seasons in Utah.

A move to the bench will create a situation where Hayward is a primary scoring option, allowing him to attempt more field goals, and shoot out of his slump.

A veteran scorer on Celtics second unit

Boston’s second unit is struggling offensively. Only Marcus Morris (0.2) has a positive offensive box plus/minus in the group. The Celtic’s need to swap Jaylen Brown, who is struggling offensively, with Hayward, which would allow Boston to add a veteran scorer to their second unit without mortgaging their defense.

Via Sporting News

Boston is desperate for a spark

The Celtics have to change things up offensively. They need Hayward taking more shots in order to escape his “funk”, as well as need their offensive efficiency to improve as a whole.

Hayward coming off the bench is just the spark Boston needs. Having an All-Star caliber presence off will give the Celtics a massive advantage over teams that lack depth. There will be no possessions off for Boston’s opposition when Hayward enters the game for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown.

Support Rob Manfred: Contact The MLBPA About Pace Of Play

2 Replies

Rob Manfred has gotten a contract extension to remain The Commissioner of Major League Baseball for another 5 years. That is outstanding news for all baseball fans because Mr. Manfred is a man on a mission to save our beautiful game.

Declining Ratings

And why does our game need saving? Because ratings and attendance are down, more every year. How is it that the World Series between Boston and LA, two historical franchises, had reduced ratings of 20% over the prior year? Because people hate the Red Sox. Oh, and it takes too long. The game simply takes too long.

Rob Manfred, a hero of busy people with only so much time, has taken on Titans and Legends alike in his time as Commissioner, all in the name of reducing Pace of Play. Let’s take a brief walk down his warpath.

Rob Manfred Pace Of Play Initiatives

In 2015, Big Time Rob got the MLB Players Union to agree to several Pace of Play initiatives:

Managers have to stay in the dugout during replay challenges. I have to admit, I kind of miss Lou Piniella. But it saves time!
Hitter have to keep one foot in the batter’s box at all times. No more afternoon strolls or other shenanigans.
The game must start promptly after commercial breaks.
Relievers have 2 minutes 30 seconds to come in from the bullpen and warm up.

It’s debatable how often Thor, I mean Rob Manfred, threw the hammer and fined players for their violations. But clearly, the battle lines were drawn.

The Owners Pony Up

In 2018 Jon Snow, I mean Ron Manfred, pulled out his long sword and did the unthinkable: He got the MLB owners to agree to reduce commercial time. This is money directly out of their pockets. 20 seconds less per break during the regular season. That’s almost a 10% reduction on 2:25 of ad time.

That hurts. It’s estimated that on national MLB games in 2017 the total cost of advertising was $313 million. That was just network games like Fox and TBS. Imagine all the team networks out there, charging for ads in all the MLB games every day.

Now imagine bigger. In 2017, the Phillies signed a deal with Comcast for $5 Billion over 25 years to televise the games.

The Players Need To Get Behind This

It’s high time the Major League Players Association started getting truly serious about reducing the time it takes to watch the games. I won’t say this is a crisis, but I don’t think I have to go chapter and verse of why a faster game would benefit all.

In 2018, when Jesse Owens, I mean Rob Manfred, negotiated the reduction in ad time, as well as limiting mound visits, he wanted to introduce the play clock. But he could not come to an agreement with the Players Association.

I’m no expert, but Paul Bunyan, I mean Rob Manfred, and his team are experts. And they say increasing the pace of play is vital for the game. The Commish could implement things like the pitch clock and between-batter timer unilaterally if he wanted to. But he has been exercising caution in the name of labor peace and cooperation thus far.

A Travesty In The World Series

I mean honestly, they were playing ads between pitches during the World Series. Between pitches in the ninth inning of a close game in the World Series. I watched this happen and was enraged.

The history and honor and glory of our great game is made and lost in the 9th inning of World Series games. How is it possible ads are playing between pitches?

Because too much time is taken between each and every pitch! It’s on the teams, the players, the managers, and the league, to make it inconceivable a real ad could be placed between pitches in the 9th inning of a World Series Game.

A Call To Action

I propose a grassroots campaign to flood the Major League Players association with calls and emails and letters urging them to agree with Commissioner Manfred to do anything possible to speed up the game. Here is the MLBPA contact information:

Website: www.mlbplayers.org
Phone number: (212) 826 – 0808
Email address: feedback@mlbpa.org
Address: 12 East 49th St, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10017

The owners have given up millions of dollars. They, in turn, have endorsed General George S. Patton, I mean Commissioner Manfred, to go on a long campaign of reducing the pace of play.

This is the players’ game. They need to get behind these efforts instead of fighting them. We cheer them, boo them, love them, hate them, and ultimately support all of them by attending and watching.

Now let them hear your voices like never before. Tell them to get behind the efforts, like the pitch clock, to speed up the game and not make it a point of contention or call for labor strife within the Players Union. Make it part of our great game going forward instead of a stagnant game going backward.

For the love of the game.

Get the necessary equipment and protective gear for participating in sports

Leave a reply

Sports are loved by many, and some individuals like to take part in sports. There are multiple types of sports, and an individual usually excels in a specific game. Training is of course needed for learning the method of playing the sport perfectly. In some games, one has to learn to play more than one part, but later he/she might choose to focus upon a particular role in developing one’s identity in a group game.

When games are held in groups, then it is known that all players are not assigned the same role, and so it is important to develop his/her ability to the fullest so that in a game one can contribute effectively by playing his/her part perfectly. Based on the different role the gear and equipment change.

The accessories needed for learning and playing a particular game

As far as playing any particular sport is concerned there is some specific equipment which is necessary for playing that game. Without those essential items, the game can’t be played. For example in cricket, cricket bats, ball, stumps and protective gears for the batsman are needed for playing the game. When a person is training for a particular game, then he/she should know the items which have to be purchased for playing the game. Training for a sport also requires specific gears which are to be acquired by the respective trainee. The site of wagerbop.com features information about different kinds of sports and games held during the season

To understand the use of sports accessories one can scan through the following points:

Accessories needed for playing:

In some particular sports, the game can only be played if there are certain accessories purchased at the hockey shop like balls, bats hockey sticks, etc. The games where accessories are needed a person needs to buy those items from a particular shop that sells quality sports accessories. If good quality bats or balls are not acquired, then the game cannot be played well. In different games, the ball which is used is different in shape and size, and one should purchase suitable items that are specifically used for a particular game.

Accessories needed as protective gear:

While playing a game one might need headgear or pads for knees for playing the game so that injuries can be prevented. For example, goggles are often used for swimming activity for ensuring underwater visibility. It is understandable that all games won’t require the same kind of protective gear and people often tend to do away with protective gear while practicing. However, this is a very dangerous and wrong practice because the protective gear is present for a reason. Injuries and mishaps can occur anywhere, but if safety precautions are taken, then the chances of grave injury can be prevented. Therefore people should always live in high quality protective to ensure one’s safety while playing a game,

Hence, only looking for training and learning opportunities for excelling in sports is not enough as one needs to purchase the necessary accessories for playing the game.

How Much Is Horford Responsible for Boston’s Average Start?

Leave a reply

Let’s make one thing clear: If you’re looking for a collection of words bashing Celtics’ center Al Horford, you’ve come to the wrong place. Horford’s game undoubtedly takes a bit of nuanced viewing to appreciate, and he affects the Celtics positively in ways that don’t always appear in a box score.

However, with Boston scuffling through its first 13 games this year, every player is under a microscope. That includes Horford, who is averaging career lows in rebounds per game and field goal percentage so far this season. Horford is the C’s engine on both ends. When that engine sputters, he becomes a logical target for midday radio hosts and columnists looking to stir the pot.

But how much has the Puerto Plata native contributed to the Celtics’ early season struggles? Let’s run through a few stats to get a clearer picture.

Efficiency Issues

It’s no secret that the Celtics have been atrocious offensively this season. Boston ranks 26th in points per possession, and 28th in field goal percentage. Without getting into it too deeply, this team simply doesn’t attack the rim, doesn’t get to the line, settles for too many low-efficiency shots, and misses too many open looks.

In many ways, Horford has been emblematic of those issues. The former Florida Gator is attempting more threes (4.5 per game) than ever before, yet is only converting at a 27.6% clip. That would be his lowest mark since he stretched his range out consistently behind the arc in 2016.

It’s early, and a slow shooting start can be corrected. More troubling, perhaps, is how his efficiency at the rim has dipped too. From 2013-18, Horford shot 74.3% on attempts inside of three feet, per Basketball Reference. This season, that number has fallen to 66.7% on such shots.

67% isn’t bad, by any stretch. But combined with shooting more threes at a worse rate than ever before, Horford’s efficiency in a key shooting area becomes magnified. The result is a career low 44.3 FG% and a 50.0 eFG%, his lowest mark since his rookie year. Throw in a career-low 63.6% from the line, and you have a bonafide slow offensive start.

Dirty Glass

Horford hasn’t been an above average rebounder since his early days in Atlanta. As he’s expanded his offensive arsenal to the three-point line, his rebounding numbers have steadily declined. However, he has been a consistently solid defensive rebounder, and his ability to grab-and-go makes him a unique weapon in the modern NBA.

Unfortunately, Horford has been even worse than usual at cleaning up the boards. His 10.5% Total Rebound Rate is a career low, sunk by his career low defensive rebounding rate (15%). As with any small sample size, these numbers could change with strong stretch. When examining Boston’s early season woes, however, these stats seem relevant. The C’s currently rank 20th in rebounding rate, after finishing 11th by that metric last season.

Symptoms, Not The Cause

While some aspects of Horford’s slow start have been a part of why the Celtics have looked disjointed out of the gate, ultimately his play has been a symptom of that, and not the cause. The C’s still lead the league in defensive rating, thanks in large part to Horford’s continued excellence on that end. Horford’s current 4.4% block rate would be a career high, and he looks as solid as ever on his rotations.

Additionally, that Horford has only managed a 19.7% assist rate (his lowest since joining the C’s) speaks more to Boston’s inability to convert open looks than it does a decline in his ability to facilitate the offense. Per NBA.com, the Celtics have attempted the second most “wide open” looks, yet have only converted at the 14th-best rate on those looks. They’ve attempted the most “open” looks, too, with similarly uninspiring results. Those numbers should tick up a bit, and Horford will benefit.

Ultimately, the Celtics’ center’s 12-6-4 per game averages aren’t eye-popping, but there’s plenty of room to improve. Time will tell if Horford’s slow start morphs into a slow season. If it does, the Celtics might be in even more trouble than we thought.

The Greatest Red Sox Legends by Uniform Number: 6-10

Leave a reply

Writing about the best players to don uniform numbers six through ten for the Red Sox. This is the second article in this series. If you missed the numbers one through five, check it out here. This set of numbers, six to ten, features three numbers retired by the franchise.

Number 6 – Johnny Pesky

Pesky was nearly a Red Sox lifer, spending parts of eight seasons with the team during his ten-year Major League career. He then did some announcing for the team, coached and hung around the team throughout his life. As recently as 2012, when Fenway Park celebrated its 100th anniversary, Pesky was wheeled out onto the field to partake in the ceremony.

Pesky is underrated as a player. I feel like a lot of Sox fans know him for Pesky Pole and hanging around the team forever, but might not be sure about how good a player he was. Nationally he was very underrated as well. If not for spending three years fighting in World War II, Pesky may have been a Hall of Fame player. In his rookie season of 1942, Pesky set a rookie record with 205 base hits, which led the league. He batted .331 that season.

After missing three years of baseball, Pesky returned from war to belt over 200 base hits each of the next two seasons, again leading the league both years. He batted .335 and .324 in those seasons. His first three years in the MLB he led the league in base hits all three. If Pesky had reached 200 hits in all three seasons he missed, not a stretch given what he accomplished surrounding those years, he would have gone over 200 hits in six straight years to begin his career. This also would have given him over 2000 hits and easily a .300 average while playing mostly shortstop, a premium position.

Pesky had his number six retired by the Red Sox in 2008, after spending decades with the franchise in some sort of role.

Honorable Mentions: Rico Petrocelli, Harry Agganis

Number 7 – Dom DiMaggio

Another of the group of friends from the forties teams, DiMaggio was also underrated as a player. Ted Williams repeatedly went to bat for DiMaggio to make the Hall of Fame before his death. He was a fantastic fielder in center and was the table setter at the top of the lineup for some very good offenses. Unfortunately, Dom was overshadowed by both his older brother Joe and sharing an outfield with Ted.

Most people nationwide would know Dom DiMaggio as Joe’s little brother. Dom DiMaggio, however, made seven all-star teams, and likely would have received a nice collection of Gold Gloves for his work in center field had the award existed back then. He got great reads, had a lot of range and one of the strongest arms in the league. In addition, DiMaggio batted .298 for his career with a stellar .383 on-base percentage. He averaged 195 base hits per 162 games with 87 walks.

Ted Williams knew what he was talking about when it came to baseball, so who’s to argue with him over DiMaggio? Dominic certainly has a case for the Hall. He also missed three years of playing time due to fighting in World War II, hurting his cumulative statistics.

Honorable Mentions: Reggie Smith, Trot Nixon, JD Drew, Rick Burleson, Dick Stuart

Despite being an excellent ballplayer himself, Dom DiMaggio was always in the shadow of his older brother Joe. (AP Photo/file)

Number 8 – Carl Yastrzemski

Yaz is, of course, the recipient of the greatest ballplayer to wear the number eight for the Red Sox. Can you name anyone else who wore the number for the team? Number eight is synonymous with Yaz around here.

Everyone knows about Carl Yastrzemski, so here are some quick hits. Yaz made 18 All-Star Games and won an All-Star Game MVP. Yaz was a fantastic fielder, leading to seven Gold Glove Awards. He won the triple crown in 1967 and was named the American League MVP that season. Yaz won three batting titles and led the league in on-base percentage five times, slugging percentage three times and OPS four times. He also led the league in hits twice, walks twice, runs scored three times, doubles three times, and home runs and runs batted in once apiece.

For Red Sox records, Yastrzemski is number one in franchise history in games played, at-bats, hits, total bases, runs scored, runs batted in and doubles, in addition to a few others. The man who played 23 seasons and got on base 5304 times is all over the franchise record books.

Number 9 – Ted Williams

Again, who doesn’t know Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived? The retired number nine is Ted Williams, and Ted Williams alone. There’s not much to say that isn’t known about the man who made 19 All-Star Games and missed three years to fight in World War II and two more for the Korean War. Without those military stints, Williams may have threatened Babe Ruth’s all-time home run mark of 714 at the time. Williams won two Triple Crowns and two MVPs and was robbed of at least three other MVP Awards by vengeful sports writers.

Williams led the league in hitting six times, including back-to-back years at the ages of 38 and 39. His .388 batting average in 1957 at the age of 38 is one of, if not his finest accomplishment, up there with batting .406 in 1941. He only had an OPS under 1.000 once, his 40-year-old season when he played injured. He came back the next year to have his best HR/AB ratio of his entire career.

People once wondered if Ted Williams would still be able to hit after returning from a second stint at war. He had nearly died in the Korean War and was coming back at nearly 35 years old. In addition to this, he had not swung a bat in 16 months while flying fighter jets. All he did was bat over .400 and swatted 13 home runs in 91 at-bats over the rest of the 1953 season. From his return from Korea through the 1958 season, ages 35 to 39, Williams batted an unheard of .355/.496/.661/1.157! These are just several stats about the greatest hitter of all-time, I could go on for hours about what he accomplished just at the plate.

Number 10 – Billy Goodman

The least well known of the group for numbers 1-10, Goodman was a good player for the Sox. He spent a decade with the team from the late forties through the mid-fifties. Goodman played all over the field but was mostly a first and second baseman. He batted .310 as a rookie in 1948, then made the all-star team in year two. By year three, Goodman led the league in hitting with a .354 batting average, finishing second in the MVP vote.

During his nine full seasons with the Red Sox, Goodman batted above .300 five times. The other four seasons he was in the .290’s. He was a .306 hitter with the team and posted an excellent .386 on-base percentage. His versatility only added to his value on the field. Goodman made two All-Star Games and garnered MVP votes in six different seasons with the Red Sox.

Honorable Mentions: Rich Gedman, Bob Montgomery, Scott Hatteberg

Rob Gronkowski retirement rumors continue

Leave a reply

Rob Gronkowski might retire at the end of the season

Rob Gronkowski hasn’t had a very productive season for the Patriots this year. He was triple covered at the beginning of the season when he was playing, or he’s always out of games because of injury. His contract is incentive based and if he doesn’t get guaranteed money he could retire at the end of the season. Gronkowski threatened to retire after the Patriots almost traded him to the Detroit Lions and before that after the Super Bowl. Seems like he’s always injured lately and one more big hit from a serious injury. The Patriots with Gronkowski and without Gronkowski in the lineup though is interesting.

Gronkowski’s stats with him in games versus him not in games

According to the Boston Globe. In the 35 games, he’s missed in the last 7 seasons playoffs included the numbers don’t fall off much. Since the start of the 2012 season when he suffered his first significant injury the pats are 67 and 19 with him in the lineup. They are 26-9 without him in the lineup. They have scored 30.5 points per game with him and 27.8 points without him. They made two Super Bowls with him but also won without him in 2016. Since the 2016 season, the pats are 14-2 without Gronkowski including 11-0 in 2016. This year they are 2-1 and averaging 34 points per game without him.

Brady will convince him to stay

Now the Patriots only put up ten points against the Tennesse Titans. They could’ve used Gronk on Sunday even just for blocking. Gronkowski should retire at the end of the season if he continues to be forced onto the sidelines. He also has slowed down significantly since 2011. The only quarterback he’ll play with is Tom Brady. So he’s either going to hang it up which is what I think he’ll do or Brady will convince him to stay.

The Red Sox Should Move on from Kimbrel

Leave a reply

Craig Kimbrel rejected his qualifying offer Monday, making him a free agent. Without Kimbrel, the Red Sox have no obvious candidate to fill in as the closer. However, they have a couple of in-house options and there are several viable free agent candidates who would cost much less than bringing Craig Kimbrel back. These are the reasons the Red Sox should explore those other options.

The Contract

Craig Kimbrel was always going to command a big contract for a relief pitcher. With news the other day that his agent, Scott Boras, claims Kimbrel to be the greatest closer ever, one can expect they are aiming for a big-time payday. What would that entail? My guess is Kimbrel will receive a five-year contract somewhere in the 90-100 million dollar range.

With Kimbrel turning 31 next spring, a 5-year contract could be a bit risky. His velocity might decline over the next couple of years, hurting his effectiveness. As things stand now, his effectiveness already waxes and wanes. For how good Kimbrel is, his control tends to disappear at times, at which point fans are in for a rocky rollercoaster ride in the ninth inning. Do you really want Kimbrel taking up 18-20 million of payroll each year for the next five years? That money would be better spent elsewhere. In addition, with the qualifying offer rejected, the Red Sox would pick up a draft pick if Kimbrel signed elsewhere.

This isn’t meant to criticize Kimbrel, he has been one of the better closers of all-time. He has a career ERA under 2.00 and 333 saves. Just two years ago he had another historic season, nearly striking out half of all batters he faced. However, when looking at his other two seasons in Boston, Kimbrel has been good, but nothing special. In 2016 and 2018 Kimbrel has a 3.04 ERA and walks nearly five batters per nine innings pitched. He’s still a strikeout machine and typically gets the job done, but it raises some questions.

More Important Contracts

Mookie Betts jumps to mind as a player the Red Sox need to extend. As the probable 2018 American League MVP and already a three-time Gold Glove winner, Betts is going to command a very large contract. The Red Sox will need plenty of available space to make an extension with Betts work. It might not happen this year, but with only two arbitration years left before he hits free agency, the Red Sox can’t be sleeping on this.

Chris Sale is another obvious guy as he enters his final year before free agency. Sale has been everything the Sox could have hoped for when they traded for him, going 29-12 with a 2.56 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 13.2 K/9 over his two seasons with the team. Sale is probably a top-five pitcher in all of baseball, it would be hard to lose that. With free agency looming, the Sox should be locking him up long-term this offseason.

Xander Bogaerts is also entering his final season before free agency. A two-time Silver Slugger coming off his best season to date, Bogaerts isn’t going to be cheap to retain either. Bogaerts hit 23 home runs, drove in 103 runners and posted a career-best .883 OPS this season. At a premium position, Bogaerts is an important player and won’t be a cheap one. Can the Sox retain him, Betts and Bogaerts even if they don’t keep Kimbrel?

The Red Sox shouldn’t be doling out massive contracts to guys who pitch 50 innings a year when they have MVPs and Silver Sluggers and potential Cy Young Award winners to lock up.

Free Agent Options

The Red Sox might be able to sign two late-inning options for the price of just Kimbrel, with considerably fewer years of payroll tied up in them. That is the direction they should go in, sign two, maybe even three guys to one or two-year deals to lock down the end of the bullpen. If they keep Joe Kelly, they’d likely be looking at signing two.

David Robertson

Robertson has had a nice career but has always done better in a setup role than as a closer. He had a sub-2.00 ERA his final three years with the Yankees before signing with the White Sox to be their closer. He did a good job but had an ERA above 3.00 all three seasons as their closer. At 34 years old come next season, he isn’t someone the Sox would want to give more than a two-year deal.

Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller is coming off a down season, so it might make some sense for the Sox to pounce. He too will be turning 34 next spring, so he won’t command a long-term deal. Coming off a down season, there is a chance he will be looking to sign a one year deal to reestablish some value. In his down season, Miller still struck out nearly 12 batters per nine innings. In his four previous seasons, Miller was 22-11 with a 1.72 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 14.5 K/9. Those are some insane numbers, ones I would love to give him a chance to rebound to.

Adam Ottavino

Ottavino has less mileage on his arm than the other guys, but he’s actually about to turn 33. He has missed time with arm injuries more than once, but when healthy he is good. Pitching in Colorado, Ottavino had a 2.43 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 13 K/9 this past season.

Cody Allen

Allen might be looking for a one year deal after having his worst season as a pro this past year. At just 29 years old, he shouldn’t be nearing the end of his effectiveness, and he might be a bounce-back candidate. In the five years before this past season, Allen had an ERA under 3.00 each season, coming to a 2.59 ERA for that five year period. He has saved 147 games over the past five seasons and strikes out 11.5 batters per nine innings for his career.

These are just some of the many options the Red Sox could explore to help form their bullpen. Joakim Soria, Greg Holland, Jeurys Familia, and Zach Britton are several more options that could be had for a fraction of the cost of Craig Kimbrel. Soria and Holland could probably be had on one-year deals. The Red Sox should be looking to sign a couple of the above players to vie for the closer role.

Miller spent four seasons with the Red Sox already. Staff photo by Christopher Evans.

Featured picture from Yahoo! Sports

Red Sox Trade Potential 2019: Rafael Devers For Kris Bryant

Leave a reply

A shock-wave spread across the MLB Hot Stove when Buster Olney reported that the Chicago Cubs could trade Kris Bryant. The Red Sox minor league system is bare, but Rafael Devers is young, cheap, talented, and a powerful trade chip. Would a Rafael Devers Kris Bryant swap make sense?

Rafael Devers

Devers can be seen as a Red Sox wunderkind. He will only be 22 years old at the start of 2019 season. At that tender age, his accomplishments are many. Here are just a few:

His Baseball Reference page compares him at a similar age to Willie Mays and Cal Ripken Jr.
He’s the youngest Red Sox player to hit a Home Run since Tony Conigliaro in 1965.
He has a .884 OPS in the postseason including 3 Home Runs and 14 RBI in 15 games.

Because of these, and many other great performances, most consider him an untouchable. And for the vast majority of all the talent in all the world, he is.

But what if he could be the centerpiece, or only piece, in a trade for one of the best young players in all of baseball?

Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant himself is seen as a Chicago Cubs wunderkind. At the tender age of 26, he has already been a Rookie Of The Year, an NL MVP, and linchpin of a 2016 World Series Championship for the Cubbies.

Devers may be full of potential, but Bryant is a monster and has proved it over a much larger sample. Bryant is also playing much better defense than Devers at third base.

So why would the Cubs trade him? Because many of the same concerns the Red Sox have had with Mookie Betts. Bryant has refused to talk long-term extension with the Cubs.

Now, Theo Epstein, the President of the Cubs, downplayed the possibility of trading Bryant. But what do we expect him to say? If there is even a possibility, this could be an incredible opportunity.

In the spring of 2017, the Chicago Cubs visited Fenway Park for a 3 game series. It was a brief glimpse of the kind of, pardon the term, damage Bryant could do. In those 3 games, he hit 2 Home Runs, 2 Doubles, and had a 1.429 OPS.

Red Sox Payroll Concerns 2020

At the end of the 2019 season, the Red Sox have a number of payroll concerns. Among them are trying to sign Mookie Betts to a long-term deal, Chris Sale and Xander Bogaerts becoming free agents, and JD Martinez having an opt-out in his contract.

Having Kris Bryant, a superstar, on the team at a lower number through 2021, would provide some flexibility for the Sox in the short term. And Bryant is a much better bet to invest in than Rafael Devers. Bryant is simply a better player.

Because of Rafael Devers’ postseason success, and tantalizing thoughts of Willy Mays and a young and healthy Tony C, he could be a one for one trade chip for Kris Bryant. And hey, it’s just the kind of trade Dave Dombrowski is known for.